The amount of neuromythology and other kinds of pseudoscience to which we are exposed to through popular media and other channels seems to be growing. How can we recognize pseudoscience? How might using pseudoscience in working with clients be problematic? Why must we use caution when trying to apply research from the lab to everyday life? Why is anecdotal evidence (e.g., I can see what I am doing helps my clients) often not sufficient or accurate? Listen in to this discussion to ensure that the science you use when working with clients improves the quality of your service.

Important Points:

Much of the popular psychology “knowledge” that is shared in media today is pseudoscience, statements or beliefs that are claimed to be scientific and factual but lack evidence gathered and constrained by scientific methods.

Biases are systematic or consistent “errors” that can lead us to embrace false beliefs. Confirmation bias, one we are all especially prone to, is a tendency to seek out evidence consistent with what we believe and to deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that doesn’t support our beliefs.

While many people believe that memories function like a recording device, it is important to note that memories are actually very malleable and they change dramatically over time, particularly in response to expectation and suggestion, or as colored by one’s mood. A person’s level of confidence in their memory has very little correlation with the accuracy of their memory.

Reading Recommendations:

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Available on Amazon)The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis (Available on Amazon)How We Know What Isn’t So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life by Thomas Gilovich (Available on Amazon)Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills by Professor Steven Novella (Available on Amazon)